Subject: Re: Cadmium in Old Tires = Cadmium in Soaker Hoses?
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 08:58:22 EDT
In a message dated 7/9/99 11:49:38 AM, igg@igg.com writes:
<<Friends,
I was reading the environmental statement on a roll of bulk soaker hose we
picked up from Wallmart the other day. They were bragging that 60 percent
of the hose was made from recycled rubber from old tires. I (vaguely)
remember a discussion here that nixed tire gardening because of the cadmium
in tire rubber. I assume the same applies to the rubber recycled in soaker
hoses.
Allan:
The prudent person handles any gun as though it is loaded and the
safety is off until there is absolute and immediate proof to the contrary.
If it is made from recycled tires, alas I feel we need to assume it has
cadmium until it is proven otherwise. If someone on this list has access to
a spectrographic analyzer maybe s/he will speak up and you can send a chunk
of the hose to him/her to analyze. this need not be a mystery.
That said we need to hear from someone who knows about how cadmium is
mobilized. meanwhile, I wouldn' use it on MY garden.
For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence
courses via email. Copyright, 1998, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52,
Sparr FL 32192 USA Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com